Toot or Boot brings you unfiltered conversations about work — straight from HR insiders who aren’t afraid to tell the truth. With a rotating crew of progressive HR leaders, we break down the latest news and trends to show what’s really happening and why it matters for your job. Whether you’re in HR or just trying to survive your 9-to-5, expect real talk, practical advice, and the occasional laugh to get you through the chaos of modern work. To find out more, check out tootorboot.com
Latest episodes
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42 min
Why Employees Disengage and What Leaders Miss
Disengagement at work is often framed as an attitude problem. But what if it’s actually a nervous system response? In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall sits down with H…
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50 min
Why HR needs to move on from SHRM
For decades, SHRM has been the institution shaping HR standards, HR certifications, and workplace policy. But as political tensions rise, protections erode, and credibility questio…
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1 h 09
Behind the curtain of AI hiring tools
Hiring has never felt more confusing — for candidates, recruiters, or the HR teams stuck in the middle. Between ATS myths, bad advice on TikTok, the Mobley v. Workday lawsuit, and…
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46 min
Why Niceness Fails and Nerve Matters
We’ve been taught that “nice” is the goal at work — be pleasant, be agreeable, don’t rock the boat. But what if niceness is actually keeping us stuck, silencing truth-tellers, and…
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51 min
Authenticity, identity, and being human at work
Work shouldn’t be the worst part of your week — but for too many people, it still is. In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall talks with Madison Butler — author of Let The…
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54 min
The Burnout Era: Why Employees Are Struggling
Between layoffs, burnout, political chaos, AI anxiety, and the cost of living crisis, it’s no wonder employees aren’t okay. But if “not okay” has become the new normal, how do we l…
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50 min
Inside the CEO crisis: why leaders are exiting
Something strange is happening in the C-suite — and employees are the ones feeling it. In this fiery and funny episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall is joined by Jessica Winder…
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53 min
What it’s really like on an H-1B visa
When politics and policy collide with people’s livelihoods, HR leaders are often the ones left cleaning up the mess. In this episode, Stacey sits down with fractional HR leaders An…
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54 min
The Economic Ripple of Excluding Black Women
Black women are being pushed out of the U.S. workforce at alarming rates—and it’s not by choice. In this powerful episode of Toot or Boot, host Stacey Nordwall sits down with workp…
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29 min
Moderna merges HR and IT, the price of office politics, and is sustainable scaling achievable?
In this episode, we explore three critical workplace strategy topics: how effective leaders can minimize office politics through transparency, accountability, and encouraging diver…
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33 min
The cost of DEI rollbacks, the new employer-employee relationship , and the human cost of content moderation
This episode dives into why some CEOs are paying the price for walking back DEI, how the employer-employee relationship has fundamentally shifted, and the horrifying conditions fac…
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27 min
A hard job market for new college grads, the cost of declining employee wellbeing, a bold child care policy
In this episode, we explore Cake’s Body’s bold $36K childcare stipend, why the job market is suddenly so brutal for college grads, and what the WEF’s new report reveals about the s…
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33 min
The workplace triple threat: Disengagement, RTOs, and Fake AI Applicants
This week, we're diving into three concerning workplace trends: First, employee engagement is declining sharply, with managers under 35 and female managers leading this downward sl…
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21 min
The path from CPO to COO, employee choice in RTOs, and job ads for narcissists?
This week, we discuss why HR professionals are naturally positioned for C-suite operations roles, examining the journey of Hinge's Angel Franklin from CPO to COO and why this trans…
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22 min
Target's DEI rollbacks hit their bottom line, LGBTQ discrimination on the rise, and quiet cracking
This week, we dive into the real-world impacts of DEI rollbacks, workplace discrimination, and employee disengagement. We examine how Target faced boycotts and significant business…
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56 min
Workplace Accessibility: How policy changes like RTOs disproportionately impact employees with disabilities
This week, we welcome Nathan Chung, Jessica Donahue, and Greer Procich for a critical conversation about workplace accessibility and inclusion. With collective experience in HR, cy…
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26 min
Meta's "do not rehire" list, the decline of workplace friendships, and HR teams too stretched to action employ…
In this episode, we analyze new Glassdoor research suggesting employees are increasingly deprioritizing workplace relationships, questioning whether this shift stems from broader s…
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16 min
Tokyo's 4-day workweek, resignation by proxy, and a low status desk
Kim Minnick joins this week as we dive into three fascinating workplace trends from around the globe. We examine Tokyo's move toward a four-day workweek aimed at addressing Japan's…
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28 min
April Fools - can we tell the real headlines from the fake?
In this special April Fool’s Day episode, host Stacey Nordwall hands over the reins to co-producer Lexi Croswell for a fun twist on the usual format. Instead of tooting or booting…
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13 min
Live in Las Vegas at Transform
Last week our team was at the Transform Conference in Las Vegas, connecting with HR practitioners and thought leaders. We decided to have some fun and do quick on the conference fl…